Married Couples: Joint Checking Accounts yes or no?
By maezee
@maezee (41997)
United States
August 2, 2017 6:18am CST
I met up with my best friend who recently got married to her boyfriend of many years. Thry have been sharing the same checking and sacings accounts for the last....many years. And recently her husband has been spending a lot more and depleting their checking and savings accounts.
Him and her have much different spending styles. She is more frugal, does not eat out or spend hardly any money. Him on he other hand - total consumer. Fast food and take out most days of the week, new shoes and hats, etc. She is frustrated and has been talking to him about it but he ets super defensive.
I personally am a big spender as well on silly stuff like food and clothes so I dont think I would ever allow myself to share an account with my nonexistant husband. What about you? Do you? Does it work because you both have similar spending habits or because you both allow yourselves X amount of spending money per week? Any advice for my friend?
4 people like this
9 responses
@NJChicaa (116006)
• United States
2 Aug 17
My now-husband and I started a joint checking account when we bought our house 1 year after we started dating. He took control of all of the finances which was fine with me because I am terrible with them and have no interest in that stuff. I get $100 of fun money a week and whatever I need for the groceries, gas for the car, etc.
As for your friend, if her husband can't get himself under control, then I'd advise her to separate herself financially from him for her own protection.
@poehere (15126)
• French Polynesia
5 Aug 17
Being married normally means sharing all. Even a checking account. However, if you are like my daughter's husband who forgets to enter a check or tell her when he uses a debit card I would say no. Keep them apart. I will never have a joint account with anyone ever again. I had one with my mom and she closed out my account and ripped me off. Learned a valuable lesson on this one.
@wongchoiyee (7413)
• Malaysia
2 Aug 17
Definitely have to be in separate accounts. My money is earn with the work I do and I really keep track on that.
@beesure11 (223)
•
3 Aug 17
You have to be on the same page. You have to become one. You have to respect your marriage and your money too. I share an account with my husband and it's pretty cool. We both are aware that we want money. Not a lot of money (That wouldn't hurt) We are not getting any younger. So neither one of us wants to mess up by disrespecting the finances. When you disrespect the finances you are hurting the family unit. Having a joint account is saying that we trust and respect each other and we trust and respect the $$.
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
3 Aug 17
My husband and I have shared accounts but he never writes checks so it's not an issue.
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
2 Aug 17
We don't have any accounts at all but we share everything. I am more frugal and he spends more when we actually have money. It balances out though for us.
@angelmels (541)
• Australia
2 Aug 17
It worked for me and my husband for having a joint account. It's good as i keep track of our spending. I pay the bills from our joint account. We have savings and whenever his pay comes in, we just transfer some $ to our joint account. That way we get to save a bit monthly.
